TMNT Halcyon
by mysteryred
Summary: Five women long for the peaceful moments in between the madness. Several wonder if they're cursed to destroy everything they touch. A few can't see what's right in front of them. All of them should know better. And one might not see tomorrow.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Well I can't even say what ships are going to sail here (maybe send me your ships). I have no idea how this is going to go down. I decided to explore friendships, circumstance, and presence and see what happens… I'm aiming for a T rating, but well, you know. I'll keep that updated as it applies. Oh, turtles are 25, Angel is 21, Amethyst and Chloe are 20. Only one character is an OC (Amethyst). Chloe is Tea Time girl all grown up (but I had to age in her forward in the series from 6 to around 10 when Leo met her to make the ages work), and Angel is from 2003 TMNT also all grown up. Most back story and turtle visuals will follow 2012, some I made up.

I do not own TMNT.

 ***Trigger warning** for abuse (in various forms).

HALCYON

One day, whether you are 14, 28, or 65

You will stumble upon someone who will start

A fire in you that cannot die.

However, the saddest, most awful truth you will

Ever come to find—

Is they are not always with whom we spend our lives. – Unknown

 **Amethyst**

A myriad of colors on feathers, glitter, and masked faces of both life and death, danced on the iron bridge. The music was amazing, and the song easy to move to. Amethyst hummed the melody as her silver tulle skirt twirled around her ankles. The layer of satin beneath keeping her somewhat warm against the chill, though goose bumps covered her brown arms as a mid-autumn breeze blew over the water.

She needed the night, the brief reprieve from her thoughts. She held her jewel encrusted mask over her eyes, grateful it was a masquerade ball. Her platinum charm bracelet jingled as she turned to see the Mad Hatter walking by holding out a tray. "Tea?"

She shouldn't, but the point of the night was thoughtless fun and Amethyst wasn't one to turn that down. Especially after the day she'd had. "Sure, why not?"

The Hatter held a black cup out to her and she accepted it, sniffing the concoction he called 'tea'. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, lifting her sequined clutch.

"Nothing. Your admirer over there paid for it." The Mad Hatter motioned behind her.

Amethyst turned, but didn't see anyone looking at her. She scanned the crowd seeking either a familiar face or someone who seemed interested, but everyone appeared to be enjoying the party.

"Amy! Is that you? You look amazing!"

Swallowing a sip of what must have been a blend of at least six different alcohols, Amethyst turned once more, this time finding a breathtaking April O'Neil standing behind her.

She couldn't remember having seen April with her hair down before, but she should wear it like that more often. Her scarlet locks were intensified by the rows of purple and orange lights draped above the bridge, while her gown, a floor length metallic gold overlay, sparkled as she turned her hips left and right making the skirt swish.

"Well what do you think?" the redhead asked.

"You look incredible, April." Indeed she did, from mask to ballet slipper. But April wasn't the only beauty at the ball. In fact, Amethyst had been pleased with how she looked herself, up until an hour ago.

April motioned toward the crowd. "Thanks. I think we have a great turn out."

Amethyst took another drink, enjoying how it warmed her insides. "You sound like you had something to do with this."

April lowered her mask. "Yeah, it's for charity. That and I have some friends who don't go to parties much. I thought a Halloween Masquerade/Costume Ball would be the perfect chance for them to get out."

Amethyst nodded, never lowering her mask. "I guess I don't get out much either, so thanks for the invite. Where's Karai? She can't possibly be one who doesn't get out much."

April pointed over the crowd. "She's at the bar. And you're right. She gets out plenty." The redhead looked around. "Have you seen Angel? She's supposed to be working the bar, but she wasn't there earlier."

"She is. Sorry we ran a little late. She's probably talking to Karai. If not getting picked up by some random guy."

The two women exchanged knowing glances and a giggle.

Too soon, the sound died in Amethyst's throat. She set her gaze over the ripples cast by the breeze over the water. It didn't feel right, enjoying herself. But that was part of what was wrong, that way of thinking, and that had been the point. It's why she left… well tried to. But that had been a mistake, one she would remedy.

April's hand appeared on her shoulder. "How are you doing? Are you settling in okay?"

Amethyst forced a tight lipped smile. Things could be better. In a way, the past two weeks had been both terrifying and liberating. That is until that afternoon. Then everything was all askew again. But listening to him, it had that affect on her. Everything seemed so clear when she was away, but when they were together it all became fuzzy again. It didn't help that the things he said made sense, sort of. It made her head hurt trying to sort it out.

"You know if you, or Angel, ever need anything we're right down the hall." April's voice pierced her thoughts, and while Amethyst appreciated her, she was fairly certain that no one could help her.

"Thanks April, but I'm not sure how long I'll be staying. I was thinking on going home soon. I just have a few things to take care of first." She kept her gaze on the water allowing it to blur amid the orange and purple stars reflected from the party lights. Everything was distorted, the way things were, the way they appeared, and how they should be. It was hard to see what was right or wrong, best or worst, when all she was trying to do was survive.

She was going back to him, she had to, he'd hurt Angel if she didn't. Though it seemed her Latina friend was meant to suffer regardless, since she was the only one who'd ever successfully left the Dragons. Then she had been crazy enough to give Amethyst a place to stay.

Angel interfered and Hun did not like that one bit.

"Look, Amy, I don't know Hun the way you do, but I know what Angel and Casey have told me-"

 _Oh but you do, April. Better than you think. You know him and he knows you. Just like I knew you before, but you don't remember. The same way I know Karai, Chloe, and all about your freaky friends._

"Angel should've never gotten involved. There'll be hell to pay for what she tried to do." Amethyst interrupted April, forcing a smile she couldn't feel, the way she always did. "Look out for her for me, okay? And," her face scrunched up before she could smooth it out behind the mask. Then she remembered it was there to shield others from her truth. "Don't worry. I'll be around. I just have to stay we're I belong. He needs me."

Then she feigned a laugh, as if it were a romantic gesture she was accommodating, but it sounded forced even to her. She inhaled deep, pulling herself together before any of her emotions could slip free. "He's a better man when I'm in his life. Bad things seem to happen when I'm not there for him."

April stared at her, unmoving.

Amethyst kept her eyes glued to the water. Little waves, like little breaths, one ripple at a time causing a stir; one inhale to the next exhale. Sometimes, that was all she could manage.

But for the night at least, she was free to enjoy herself. She glanced at her newest charm, a tiny padlock, as she brought the cup to her mouth and chugged the remainder of the beverage. As she finished it, she addressed her still staring friend. "Come on, April, let's have some fun before I go."

As The Cheshire Cat walked by with a tray, Amethyst waved him down. "I'll take two, no three."

She stuffed a twenty in his paw, handed April a drink and set out to chug her second cup.

"Right." April frowned. "I'm just going to check on Karai." The smaller woman took a few steps away, stopped and sighed. "Amy, you _can_ leave him. You don't have to go back. Whatever he's saying to you, it's just him trying to manipulate you, trying to control you. But you're free staying with Angel. You're safe there. We won't let him-"

"April. I know. I know what he's doing and I know what I'm doing. He needs me. I'm good for him." Amethyst finished her second drink and stacked the third in the empty cup, then took a hearty swig of it. The tingle was setting in, she'd make the most of this night yet.

"Yeah, but is he good for you?" April set her cup on the railing and walked away.

Amethyst stared at the current below, blinking back tears shed from a heart that knew the true answer to that; only to wince at the bruise forming on her left eye. She lowered her mask and finished off her third drink then reached for April's. 


	2. Chapter 2

There are no accidental meetings between souls. – Unknown

 **Chloe** **  
**

Dear Diary,  
We met over tea. Lol. Nah, we met when I blackmailed him to have tea with me. If he refused, I threatened to scream and let my dad know he was in my room. See, I had something he needed and before I'd give it back, we had tea. In hindsight, I _was_ a ten year old brat.

Since then, we've had tea on a semi-regular basis. Usually once a month, save for a few months here and there where he'd just disappear. That is, until I turned fourteen and he said it was getting weird. Of course, he said that when I was twelve and thirteen, especially since it was becoming less tea and more talk. But he really put his three-toed foot down at fourteen.

That lasted a few months, until he caught me sneaking out my window one night and gave me a lecture comparable to one of my dad's. The buzz-kill. I didn't talk to him for a while after that. But that doesn't mean I didn't see him again while out on one of my nighttime ventures. I just refused to speak to him while he dragged my butt home. The worst was probably the night he took me to April's.

That was the last time Amethyst hung out with me. I didn't know if Leo being a mutant freaked her out, or if it was me, or what. So I went to her house, intent on demanding an explanation. Her mom let me in, but said Amy was in the shower and I could wait in their library (btw their house is HUGE). When I sat down at the desk, Amy's diary was staring me in the face.

Now, I know it's technically wrong to read someone's diary. BUT I also know that sometimes when you leave it out in a place like your family library, it's because you want someone to read it. Truthfully, I have two diaries. This one about Leo, which I keep hidden at all times to protect the secret that is well… Leo.

Then a second one where I write things I want my dad to know. I want him to care. I want him to try. I want him to notice me, and for us to do things together like we did before my parents divorced. But I don't think he reads it, because it's never moved from where I leave it and that includes the middle of the coffee table. Anyway, that's how I justified reading Amy's diary, and oddly enough, one entry answered not only my question, but put my friend at risk. So I stole it…

Dear Diary,

I thought Chloe was perfect. I thought if I aligned myself with her, she'd keep me out of trouble. I was wrong. After last night, I know now that no one is exactly as they seem…

" _Come on, Chloe, this isn't the best neighborhood." Amethyst dragged her staggering friend from the edge of an alleyway back onto the sidewalk. "You can't be walking around here all drunk and shit. We're going to end up—"_

" _Where do the good boys go to hide away? HIDE AWAY!" Chloe thrust her hands up, throwing her head back as she belted out an off-key melody._

 _Amethyst cringed, then covered her ears. "Seriously, Chloe, Steve was a jerk and I totally sympathize, but this," she lunged forward blocking her from stepping out into traffic, "has got to stop."_

 _Chloe stumbled off the path again, then tried to right herself, shoving a flyaway strand of blonde hair from her bleary blue eyes. "I want to find a boy who is down for the chase," she slurred, stopping to lean against the corner of a dilapidated apartment building._

 _Amethyst shivered against the mid-winter gusts that seemed to rush the alley like a vacuum sucking them into its darkness. Her boots were scraping the greasy concrete, littered with trash from an overflowing dumpster. "I'm no genius, Clo, but dark alleyways aren't a good idea in broad daylight, and definitely not this late at night. Not to mention, we've got no business being here. C'mon let's get home, it's late."_

 _Chloe ignored her, shrugging out of her peacoat, letting it fall to the sludge of just melted snow. "Putting in the time it takes to be fly as a mother!"_

 _Amethyst's jaw clenched as she grabbed Chloe's coat up from the filth and snatched her by the arm. "That is enough," She growled. "I'm not trying to get myself killed tonight, and I'm about sick of this shit." She gripped the sides of Chloe's face. "Look at me Chloe, no guy is worth what you're risking right now."_

 _Chloe closed her eyes, leaning heavily into her palm. Amethyst sighed, pulled her in for an embrace then helped her work the hem of her dress down, where it'd ridden up._

 _Her gaze travelled the other end of the alley as a first floor apartment door opened, briefly casting a small yellow beam into the darkness. A man stepped out, allowing the door to shut behind him as he huddled against the side of the building and lit a cigarette._

 _Chloe's behavior was bullshit. She was just setting them up for trouble._

 _As the cigarette smoker took a draw he looked around, spied them and snickered. Amethyst couldn't make out his features for the murky black that surrounded him. Chloe stood beside her in nothing more than a black camisole dress, all tall, blonde and beautiful, sure to attract his attention without even trying._

" _Chloe, please, please let's go home," Amethyst begged, trying to cover her friend with her coat._

 _Chloe shrugged away, weaving her way toward the puff of smoke steadily floating in the air, the cherry at the end of the stranger's cigarette glowed bright, then faded as he ashed._

" _To supply all of my hearts amends," Chloe sang in a low, slurring voice._

" _Chloe!" Amethyst called, her boots slipping and sliding in a puddle of icy slop. Her hands gathered into fists. "I'm gonna knock your ass out myself. I'm over this shit."_

 _The stranger stepped up to Chloe, his black eyes catching a sliver of moonlight. He was even taller than her, and thick. Amethyst's eyes darted over him, halting on the swirling purple dragon tattoo wrapped around his forearm. His white t shirt was tight against a panel of muscle, his jeans ripped and hanging low on his hips. His head was shaved, his ears gauged. He wasn't bad looking, but he definitely wasn't good news either. He grinned, the white of his canines gleaming. Yeah. Definitely trouble._

" _Well hello, baby girl. What's a sweet thing like you doin' round here?" He whistled low, casting his cigarette away as he approached Chloe._

 _Chloe ran a hand over the length of her own body, batting heavy eyes at the stranger._

 _She caught up to her friend, gripped her wrist and tried to pull her away._

" _No, don' do that." The stranger protested. "See, your friend seems like she wants a little company." He scowled at Amethyst._

" _Like hell I'm letting you anywhere near her." Amethyst hissed, digging her fingertips into Chloe's wrist. "C'mon, Chloe, that's enough of this shit."_

 _In one quick movement the man reached in his jeans pocket, pulled out a knife and swiped at her. "Get lost, Bitch."_

 _Amethyst jerked Chloe into her, just clearing them both of the blade. Behind the stranger, a shadow seemed to plummet to the concrete in a silent landing. Then it was gone. She half suspected it was a demon, like in the movie Ghost, coming for someone in the alley. Then wondered if it wasn't coming for her. She was after all not the perfect one, no. Usually it was Chloe, her normally prim and proper best friend that could do no wrong. At least before Steve, she was as straight as an arrow. Now she was acting like someone with a death wi— What the hell was that?_

 _Two large green fingers appeared around the stranger's hand, disarming him before seeming to suck the jerk into the black of night. Sounds of a scuffle ensued, grunts, groans, and a thud._

" _Chloe? Is that you?" A smooth, easy voice called from shadow._

" _Suit and tie 'cause undercover he's gonna save a life like superman." Chloe answered, giggling, and pointing a finger toward the disembodied voice._

 _Amethyst pulled her closer, taking steps toward the sidewalk. How did they get so far down in the alley? When? She knew better. Chloe for damn sure knew better. What the hell had green hands and snatched up creepy jerks?_

 _Chloe leaned heavily on Amethyst's shoulder and she strained not to drop her five foot nine friend. It was a difficult task, given how small she was._

" _Is she okay?" the voice asked._

 _Amethyst huffed. "You know what, I don't know who you are, or what kind of skin thing you got going on there, but thanks for uh-" She motioned toward the spot where knife boy disappeared, "helping with that."_

" _Is Chloe okay?"_

 _Chloe stood up suddenly, tugging free of her grasp, shoving Amethyst away like she was scraping a plate clean. "Where do the good boys go to hide away? HIDE AWAY!" she belted out, ambling into the darkness._

" _Chloe!" She yelled._

" _It's okay, I won't hurt her. We're…" the voice stepped forward, as Chloe opened her arms for him, he embraced her. "We're old friends."_

 _Amethyst lost a breath, didn't think her lungs would ever open up for her next inhale. Turtle. Giant, talking, turtle. Mutant. He must be a mutant. Her feet were cemented in place and she watched as Chloe rest her cheek against the creature's shoulder. Chloe's shoulder shuddered, then soft sobs erupted._

 _She should do something. Say something. But she couldn't move, taking in the scene before her. Chloe knew this man-creature-turtle… and she was hugging him… no she was crying on his shoulder. Why was he wearing a mask? And what the hell was sticking out from his- are those swords? What the hell!_

" _Shh, it's okay, what happened?" The turtle comforted Chloe, rubbing her back as she cried._

" _I'm a good, good girl who needs a little company." Chloe murmured, her fingers curling toward the turtle-mans shoulder, but nowhere near reaching the circumference of his arms. His massive arms? This guy was seriously built._

 _The turtle-man set his gaze on her. "She smells of alcohol, but Chloe doesn't drink." His mask furrowed, at the same time a very human frown formed on his thick green lips. Green lips. Green. Lips._

 _Amethyst sighed. "She just broke up with her boyfriend… well he broke up with…" She was talking to a giant turtle. A giant turtle. GIANT. TURTLE. "You know what, who are you?"_

" _Leonardo." He replied. "You must be Amy. She talks a lot about you."_

 _She snorted. "Well, she never mentioned you."_

 _He smiled, a little sparkle in his eyes. His incredibly blue eyes. Wow, they were gorgeous. Wait. What?_

" _Good. She's not supposed to. But I guess we've met now." He smiled and her stomach dipped, her heart skipping beats. He pulled a phone from somewhere, she couldn't see exactly, then he made a call. "Hi, April," he greeted. "Uh yeah, I've got a couple of friends here that need a place to sober up. No, Raph hasn't been drinking. Mind if I stop by? See you in a few."_

" _Excuse me, but I'm not drunk. I'm her designated person. And what makes you think we don't live closer than your friend? And by-the-way I'm not going to just go somewhere with a stranger… a giant, talking turtle stranger at that." She crossed her arms, her hip jutting out a bit._

 _The turtle smirked. "I'm taking Chloe with me, and based on everything she's told me of you, you are going wherever she goes. And you two don't live anywhere near here." He pointed behind Amethyst where a strange vehicle rolled up, blocking the end of the alley. "We'll take my ride. Get in."_

" _Uh-uh, no way, you're not going anywhere with her, and I'm not going anywhere with you!" Amy darted toward Chloe, who seemed to be intermittently dozing and murmuring her song, all the while clinging to the turtle._

 _With one arm wrapped around Chloe, he side-stepped her. She tumbled forward, and would've landed on her face had his free hand not caught her. He helped her right herself, and with surprisingly gentle hands guided her toward the odd van-looking thing._

 _Could this night get any worse? Drunk, usually straight as an arrow friend, asshole knife guy in the wrong end of town, and now we're being kidnapped. She ran her fingers through her long black locks, pulling at the ends of her curls._

 _A red-masked turtle appeared in the door helping the blue masked turtle and Chloe into the van. He motioned to her. "You gettin' in or what? This ain't exactly the best neighborhood."_

 _Great. There's more than one._

 _Unwilling to let her friend out of sight, she stepped into the van, only to discover there were two more, one in purple, and one in an orange mask._

 _Chloe leaned hard on the blue masked one… What was his name? She stared at him, taking a seat just across from him and Chloe._

" _Where do the good boys go, Leo?" Chloe moaned._

 _The turtle frowned, pulling her closer._

" _I don't get it." She shook her head, leaning into the bucket seat covered with a fuzzy animal print._

" _Yeah, me neither, but whatcha gonna do? The guy likes his tea." The red masked turtle shrugged, then lowered himself into the seat across the aisle from her._

 _Leo snickered. "I think Chloe needs a cup of coffee this time," he said, giving her a gentle squeeze._

" _We're here," the purple masked turtle called a short while later from the driver seat._

 _They stepped out into another alley, Leo last, handing Chloe over to her. "I, uh," he pointed to the fire escape, "I'll meet you up there. April lives on the third floor, apartment A3."_

" _You know you could've just taken us home. I can handle this. Hell, it's usually her taking care of me." Amethyst supported Chloe, looked to where her friend was drooling a bit on her coat._

" _Ugh. I hope she doesn't—"_

 _Chloe jerked upright, spun and heaved the contents of her stomach over the sidewalk._

 _Leo and Amethyst flinched, stepping out of the splash zone. Chloe began to sink to her knees but Leo bolted forward guiding her upright again. "Alright Clo, let's get you upstairs."_

 _Once they got her up there and Amethyst realized he really was going to look after her, she left. She needed less crazy in her life, not more. If she didn't walk a straight line in the high wire act that was her life, she'd fall, and for her there were serious holes in her safety net._

Since Amethyst took it upon herself to write about Leo, I took it upon myself to steal the passage and left her house without talking to her. In fact, I haven't seen or heard from her since.

And poor Leo. I had been soooo drunk that night. He even held my hair. Stayed with me the whole night.

That probably sums up the past five years of our friendship, mine and Leo's that is. A lot of, "Your better than this, Chloe." And, "Go home, Chloe." Oh and my two favs. #1 "That guys not good enough for you. You can do better." And #2 "Are you drunk, _again_?!"

The time I dyed my hair pink was fun. He just kept staring at it, then all of the sudden he burst out with, "I cannot even take you seriously right now. What did you do to your head?" I laughed at him.

After the novelty of it wore off, we talked for a while, about tea, which meant he either couldn't talk about what he wanted to, or he didn't want to talk about what he really needed to. Whichever it was, I was fine with it. But when he left I did spend the rest of the night trying to figure out what I could do to get twice the shock value next time.

I haven't seen him in a while. Maybe he's off saving the world again. Seems he does that a lot.

* * *

Dear Diary,

Today marks the day we first had tea together, nine years ago. He won't come tonight. Not that we have tea anymore. We haven't done that in years. Well, we drink tea, but it's not a party as much as we talk. It's just what we talk about has drifted from, "Mr. Turtle, please pass Mrs. Laird a cookie." To, "I've been having nightmares." To, "My parents are getting divorced." To, "I got into college. Yay, NYU!" To, "Surprise! It's purple this time, what do you think?" And eventually, "You have to leave, my boyfriend's coming over."

But that last one is not why he won't come. Leo was right that time too, that guy was like all the rest. No. He's not coming because outside my window the world is ending, again, and he's somewhere out there fighting to save it, because that's what he does.

I give him ten kinds of teenage hell like he's my dad, but he's not. He never tried to be and never was. He was more like a big brother that I liked to get a rise out of because it meant he cared. Someone cared. And while I was a puppet in my parent's tug of war, he was still Leo. I need Leo, and I think maybe in some ways he needs me.

I guess he changed a bit, too. He earned a few scars over the years, one on his face, a few chips to the shell, several on his arms and legs. But there were others too, the kind you can't see unless you recognize hurt in someone's eyes. Sometimes we'd meet on the fire escape and just sit, sharing a cup of tea. A couple times, he didn't say anything at all, except, "Thanks, Chloe," before he left.

Wherever he is tonight, I hope he's okay.

* * *

Dear Diary,  
It wasn't a tea night, but he showed up anyway. He was shocked when I invited him in, closed the curtains and turned on the lights…

 _Leo fidgeted in the small space that was Chloe's room. It had seemed to shrink over the years, the same way the children's toys had gradually disappeared. Posters of movie stars and pop bands took the place of Minnie Mouse and Disney Princesses. He'd been kind of sad the time he came and the only thing left from her childhood, that he recognized, was her stuffed bunny, Ms. Laird; perched on her bed against a pillow bearing the face of some teenage boy band singer. Thankfully, since then the bedding had been replaced with a plain blue comforter that appealed to him. Her tastes were changing again, hopefully for the better. But he still shouldn't be in her room._

" _Relax, Leo," she said, turning on the lights._

 _What on earth was she doing? Every time he'd ever been there before she'd only had on a nightlight! "Chloe, have you lost your mind?" He wheeled around for the window but couldn't stand in front of it for his shadow cast against the curtains. He retreated next to the wall and glared at her. "What are you doing?"_

 _She stared at him, wringing her hands as she swallowed hard and looked around. Were those tears? Again? How much did teenage girls cry? His mind replayed his teenage years with April and Karai. Had they cried that- Hmm. Yeah. He guessed they did._

" _My dad died," she whispered then swallowed again, her face growing a bright pink before she gasped and a sob broke free._

 _His feet propelled him forward as he gathered her in his arms, and she wept for what felt like an eternity._

" _He- a heart attack." She choked, then began weeping again. How he hated this, her hurt and how powerless he was to fix it. He could fight anything, but he couldn't change this._

" _He left me the place." She sniffled then, took deep breaths and wiped at red-rimmed eyes. "So, uh, now you can walk around the whole place."_

 _Leo stared at her. "Chloe-"_

 _She'd looked in his eyes dozens of times, and with each visit seen him through a slightly different perspective than the time before. Over the years, there was a depth in his blues that made him seem older than what she knew him to be. He had little wrinkles in the corners of them and around his mouth, and a scar that skipped across his forehead. He was looking at her and seemed as tired as she felt, for all her crying._

 _She hadn't planned on that part. The whole falling to pieces. But then she hadn't planned on her dad dying either._

" _Should I go?" he asked._

What? No. Not now that I don't have to hide you. _"No. I was hoping you'd stay and watch a movie with me."_

 _He blinked, and she wondered when he'd last slept._

" _Is everything okay at home, with your brothers?" she asked, taking him boldly by the hand and leading him into the hall. He flipped off the light switch as they left her room, putting them in the dark, save for the dim light coming from her kitchen. Oddly, he seemed to navigate quite well in the shadows, considering he'd never been outside her room before._

" _Yeah. Can we not talk about-" He grimaced, and looked away then back at her with pleading eyes._

" _Sure. We don't have to. I rented Space Heroes, Return of Hypnotica. Though I'm not sure I'll understand what is going on." She pointed him to her couch, an overstuffed chenille thing that had been in her family since she could remember. He sat down slowly, looking around the room before settling his gaze on the TV._

 _She walked over and set it up so the opening credits were rolling, then went to the kitchen and put a bag of microwave popcorn in. While it popped, she grabbed two Cokes from the fridge, but when she turned around, he was there taking the cans from her. "You grab the snack, I've got these," he said softly._

 _After dumping the popcorn in a bowl and coating it with butter and salt, she took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. As the movie went on, she caught the gist of the plot. Hypnotica had pretended to be Celestial and tricked Captain Ryan into thinking she was her. He'd almost married the witch. Maybe it was a metaphor for people pretending to be something they weren't. She supposed it was okay, not what she would've picked._

 _During the movie, she found her attention shifting to Leo's shoulders, as they slowly relaxed and he sank back into the couch. Eventually, he even leaned against the sofa arm. His pupils widened and his mouth moved at certain peaks of the story, but in the end his eyelids began to droop, and by the time the credits rolled they'd closed._

 _She took the soda from his hand and his breathing changed, enough that she thought he'd awoke, but the pattern soon resumed and she covered him with the throw blanket from the back of the couch. With his skin so close, she picked up a warm, rich scent rising off of him that caused an unexpected heat to fill her chest. For some reason, she felt compelled to lay down next to him, but didn't, settling for kissing him gently just above the blue of his mask, right over the slightly chelated scar that dashed his brow._

 _He'd been her friend for years, there for her at every turn. It was nice that she could give him a warm, quiet, comfortable place to sleep. Though she turned off all the lights, she found she couldn't leave him alone and lay down on the opposite end of the couch. At some point in the night, the blanket was shared with her and she recalled a pleasant warmth on her cheek in turn._

In recent times, maybe that was one of the best visits I'd had with him. There had been a few more like it, and for a while he came more often, probably because there was no one to hide from in my home anymore. In some ways, when I lost my dad, I gained more Leo. But then he was gone long spans of time in between, and always came back with a new scar that had a story he refused to tell.

* * *

Dear Diary,  
I met a girl. Her name is Angel… Leo is not happy about our blooming friendship, at all…

 _Snow was piling up on the fire escape near as deep as it was on the ground, by the time he rapped against the window. He'd texted to see if she could do a movie night, so she knew he was coming. But he never forgot his manners. She tugged open the sash. "Leo, I told you it would be open. Why are you standing out there freezing? Come in!"_

 _She stepped back so he could climb inside, snow coming off his feet where, if he were human, they would've been shoes. His toes had to be freezing. He had to be freezing. Though he was wearing a pretty heavy trench coat. She took it from him, noting it was warm and felt like wool. Good. She'd gathered over the years that he didn't retain heat well, probably more the reptilian side of him, depending on something external to provide warmth. He was moving slower than usual and his hands felt cold when she took his wet gloves. She rubbed the blue cotton as she studied them. They were hand knit for his three fingers. Probably April?_

 _April was someone he didn't mind talking about openly, whom he respected and in fact loved. What the nature of that love was, she couldn't tell anymore than she could what he felt for her, but that was Leo. He only let you know what he wanted you to._

" _I made popcorn, and hot cocoa instead of soda. But, I'll probably have to reheat it. It took you longer than you said it would to get here."_

 _He looked around her apartment like he always did when he first arrived. Every. Single. Time. While he did his cursory examination, she made her way to the kitchen, suppressing an amused giggle as his behavior somewhat reminded her of a guard dog scouting his territory for potential invaders. Meanwhile, she reheated the hot chocolate. Right as the timer went off, she pulled the mugs, turned around, and there he was holding the bowl of popcorn._

 _He smiled at her, a rare somewhat boyish grin that he did more often when they were younger. But it was usually a solid indicator that he'd probably stay awake for not only the entire movie, but maybe even to talk well into the night. Things must be going good at home._

" _What are we watching tonight?" he asked, taking a seat on the couch._

" _It's called The Legend of the Kingfisher. I can tell you what it's about, but I don't know if you want me to give it away. Do you?"_

 _He raised a skeptical brow, a slight smirk on the set of his mouth as he scanned the coffee table and picked up the movie case. He read the back then reached for the book beside it. "Are you studying Greek mythology in school?"_

 _She winced. "Maybe? Can you suffer through it with me? Please?"_

 _There was a sparkle in his eyes as he looked from her to the book. "Have you read it?"_

" _Yeah, it was pretty good actually. Can I tell you what it's about? I have to write an essay and I'll find out how much I know if we talk about it." She sat on the couch beside him, taking the book._

 _He leaned back, appeared to be chewing on his lip, before he finally told her, "I know the story, Chloe. I like to read in my downtime. It's usually more Japanese mythology, but sometimes I branch out."_

 _Was he blushing? She leaned forward, certain that just beneath his eyes were a deep greenish-rose color._

" _Stop." He waved her back. "Don't seem so surprised. It's a good story. A rare happier, although bittersweet, tale for the Greeks. But at least Halcyon and Ceyx were together in the end and they had a few weeks of peace in the winter. I'd take a few weeks of tranquility over a day or two at a time, without question." He frowned and she feared she'd put him in a less happy mood than what he'd come to her in and her heart hurt for it._

" _You know what, let's just watch the movie." She reached out, took the book from him, grabbed the remote, and decided to do something out of the norm to get his mind off things._

 _It didn't take much._

 _Leo was a creature of habit, if anything. Everything about his visits went pretty much one of two ways. Either he talked or he didn't. Either he fell asleep or he didn't. He either ate or he didn't. But he always cleaned up after himself and he left as quietly as he came. So as his mind drifted into the darkness of his life, she plopped down so close her thigh brushed up against his leg, then yanked the blanket down around them and curled up to his side._

 _He sucked in a breath and seemed to hold it for the entire first half of the movie. It was all she could do not to laugh at him. But somewhere near the second half his muscles uncoiled and his arm slid down around her shoulder._

 _It had been her that almost drifted off, but the music that announced the ending credits was louder than the movie and she scrambled upright, heart pounding as she fumbled for the remote._

 _Leo let out a soft laugh, remote-in-hand as he turned off the set. "Usually it's me that nods off."_

 _Chloe yawned. "I spent all of last night on the phone talking to this girl I met at work." She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Her name is Angel. She's really nice." Then she frowned. "But she just left a gang. One I hear about all the time on the news. The Purple-"_

" _Dragons." Leo scowled. "Chloe, I don't think you need to be hanging out with her. The Purple Dragons are bad news and if she's trying to get out, they aren't going to let her go easy."_

 _Chloe snorted. "I'm not scared. In fact, I was thinking about asking her to move in with me." She motioned toward the middle of her living room. "I get lonely here all by myself."_

 _Leo stood up and crossed his arms. "Do not do that. You just met her. Take some time getting to know someone before you invite them to live with you."_

 _She stood up, imitating his body language. "You just said you didn't want me talking to her at all. It's not like you even know her."_

 _His eyes narrowed. "Chloe, The Purple Dragons are dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt. And Angel is Casey's problem, not yours." He began to pace._

" _So you do know her! What do you know about her or The Purple Dragons?" She marched up to him, blocking his path and his eyes locked on her._

" _You know what? You don't need to think about nasty things like The Purple Dragons. They shouldn't even be a word out of your mouth. And Angel needs to get her life together before you go messing yours up getting involved with her. Just- just get to know her- from an – I don't know – safe distance? Chloe, just be careful, okay?" His nostrils flared as he pinched between his eyes, then rubbed his face and looked away. She watched his plastron rise and fall as his energy built._

 _But she wasn't his to boss around, and she wasn't going to let anyone tell her who her friends could be. If she'd done that, she would've never been his friend to begin with._

" _You know what, Leo. I think I'm a pretty good judge of character. I'm friends with you, aren't I?"_

 _His plastron stopped moving and his eyes widened. He blinked a few times then exhaled. It was when he leaned closer, so they were face to face that she didn't like what she saw. There was a sadness there, one that she knew she couldn't cuddle away. Because he was mad at her, but there was something else, too. "You're absolutely right," he said. "I have no business in your world and the longer I'm in it, the more danger inches its way into your life."_

 _Then he gripped her arms a little too hard, jerked her to him, hugged her tight and was out the balcony door before she'd taken her next breath._

 _As the curtain blew in the wind, little flakes of snow drifted in, melting on her carpet, and in with the tiny swirls of white came an uncomfortable emptiness that she could not shake._

* * *

Dear Diary,

I don't think he's coming tonight. It's later than usual. He didn't even send me an "I'm fine, just stws* again," text.

Can I just say that Leo's silent treatment sucks?

Because it totally does. He better come back. He doesn't get to pick who my friends are, and that includes him. I mean, what's the big deal? I don't judge his friend choices and I totally think he's too good for Karai. But that's another subject all together, well sort of.

Besides, it gets lonely here and I want to help Angel. I'm going to ask her anyway. Leo can just get over it.

* * *

Dear Diary,

Angel turned me down saying she just had a friend who's also trying to leave the Dragons to move in with her. As a consolation prize for my not getting a new roommate, she gave me a ticket to the Bow Bridge Masquerade tonight! I'm going to meet her and her friend there and party the night away. Here's to finding Mr. Right!

 **A/N:** *stws = saving the world stuff. And the song lyrics: Hideaway by Daya


	3. Chapter 3

I didn't know you, then all at once you

were the air in my lungs. – Unknown

 **Angel**

Rain fell from heavy grey clouds long and hard, splattering against the pavement, leaving little rainbow swirls as it washed away the oil residue left by thousands of cars passing by. Being the four year old she was, Angel could hardly resist tugging on her mother's arm so she could stop and splash in the puddle.

"Hurry up, Angel! We'll miss the bus then you'll be late for school, and I'll be late for work." Her mother pulled her by the wrist while she was mid-jump and Bo, her stuffed bear, fell in the slop. The current carried him to the drain and he slipped in before she could wiggle free of her mother's grasp.

"No! No! Mommy, I dropped Bo! Help me get him back!" The water she stomped around in splashed on her mom's skirt and left her dripping like a shocked wet cat.

"Angel-" Her mother said through clenched teeth.

Angel dropped her head over the side of the curb to peer in the grate, searching for her bear. To her surprise, two bright blue eyes stared back, then a green three fingered hand shoved Bo back through.

"Thank you," she managed to say, before her mother dragged her away.

"Mommy, there's a alien living down there!" she exclaimed as her mom wheeled on her.

"Angel, we're both soaked. I'm late, you're late and there's nothing left to do but go home and change. And never, ever do that again! Your little head could've been mashed by a car."

Her mother looked right then left, stepped off the curb and then-

Angel didn't know if the taxi was allowed to turn right on the red light or not. She only knew that he did and that day would stay with her for the rest of her life.

She tossed and turned on the pile of blankets, serving as a bed. Her throat was raw from crying and her chest felt all wet and ragged inside. She clutched Bo, though he was dirty and smelled a bit from having fallen down the drain. Who was it that saved him? He or she had such pretty blue eyes.

Beside her, Casey snored and rolled to his side, a whistling sound coming from him with every exhale. His twin bed was there beside them and he'd insisted she take it, and he took the floor. But after the first time she woke in a room that wasn't her own, she'd crawled up next to him and felt a little better. Right then, the noises he made were keeping her up, not that her dreams had been the best anyway. She kept seeing her mom and the car…

It was her fault, if she hadn't been playing in the water they'd have been at the bus stop and the day would've gone like any other. A fresh wave of tears burned her eyes as she stood and stepped over him, making her way to the bedroom window.

There were memorial flowers and a cross beside the curb she'd stepped off of, and just below it was the drainage grate she'd lost Bo in. Her mommy was gone, and Casey's dad, her mom's boyfriend had taken her in, so she wasn't exactly alone. But was the alien who gave Bo back to her? Was he alone? Did he have a mommy or daddy, a brother or sister? And living down there, was he hungry? Her stomach growled. She was hungry.

As she stared out the window, a green hand snaked up from the drain, wrapped three fingers around the stem of a rose that had fallen from a wreath and tugged it out of sight. Angel's heart pounded as she stepped over Casey and opened the bedroom door. She grimaced as the scent of beer and cigarettes assaulted her. It was supposed to be her new home, but she wasn't sure it would ever feel like it. It sure didn't smell like it. She held her breath as she made her way to the kitchen pantry and grabbed a box of Pop Tarts.

Casey's dad snored, his booted feet were propped up on the back of the couch, a beer bottle on his chest and one hand dangled off the side. He didn't even twitch as she snuck out the door, down three flights of stairs and onto the sidewalk, with Bo tucked under one arm. She knelt next to the curb, searching the darkness for the alien.

"Hello?" she whispered.

"Hi," came a soft sweet voice. A boy. It was a boy voice. A boy alien.

She leaned in closer, squinting as she tried to find his eyes, but she couldn't see anything. "My mommy died the other day. When you saved Bo."

"I know," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Not really. Are you a alien?" Angel blinked, he was right there, his voice so close, but she couldn't- Oh! There they were! His eyes! They were like neon lights in the dark. When he shifted in the sliver of streetlight they shone bright against the green of his skin.

"No," he replied.

"Well, what are you? Why do you live in the drain?" She reached her hand through the small space, holding her fingers out, trying to touch him.

He pressed a thick fingertip against hers and she smiled for the first time in days.

"I just look different. I'm safe down here. At least, that's what my dad says."

Neither of them said anything for a minute, they just looked at each other. Then she caught a glimpse of his inhuman face, a sweet smile on the curve of his mouth. "Want to be friends?"

She nodded. "Yeah! Oh, are you hungry? I brought some Pop Tarts. Do you like them?" She pulled her hand back, grabbed the box and shoved it through the opening.

He accepted it somewhat greedily. "Heck yeah! I'm not picky. I like everything."

She could hear the wrapper peeling away then he hummed. "Yummy."

She giggled, though her eyes seemed like they'd be wet forever. She sat back on her haunches looking at the roses. It was great to make a new friend, but she missed her mom. Her bottom lip trembled as the pressure grew in her chest once again. She hugged Bo tight then lowered him to the grate. Whoever this alien was, he had even less than she did. "Let's be friends forever, okay?"

His voice sought her ears in the darkness. "But you love him. I saved him cos you were so sad when he got washed down here."

Angel wiped away a tear she hoped he couldn't see. She loved Bo, she loved her mom, but she was a big brave girl and whoever this person was living in a dark, wet, drain, he needed a friend even more than she did. "You keep him, but you have to promise to take care of him… and that we'll be friends forever."

"I promise."

* * *

Angel poured two shots, one for herself and one for her brother. Arnold Jones' may have taken her in, and the drunk even went so far as to treat her like family, but he wasn't. Family didn't do the things he had…

Some nights her friend hadn't been there. She began sticking the food in a plastic bag and tying it shut, so it wouldn't get wet. Then she hoped he'd find it when he did come. When she learned to write she began leaving him notes.

Dear Freind,

I m lerning to right. Can U red?

Love,

Angle

To her pure joy, he not only wrote back, but drew her a picture, a stick figure of her with dark hair and brown eyes.

Dear Angle,

I m lerning to red and right two.

Love,

Mikey

P S

U r bootiful

Days bled into nights, spring turned to fall, and they began to miss each other more often than they were at the same place at the same time. But the notes didn't stop and she didn't quit dropping food until one night…

"Where the hell you think you're sneaking off to, Angel? Huh?" Arnold's breath reeked of something stronger than beer, though that's what he had in his hand. He slammed the can down on the end table and grabbed her by the neck.

Angel's heart started to pound. Where was Casey? She blinked as he lifted her off her feet, toward his face. "Don't think I don't know you steal food. I take you in and that's how you thank me? Ain't it bad enough, I gotta look at yer face every damn day and you look just like her? No. You go and steal food from me, too."

She choked, the pressure building in her face as her lungs burned and her little feet flailed. He dropped her, stood up and reached for his belt. "I'll teach you not to steal from me you little shit."

* * *

Dear Mikey,

It's been a while. I hope you haven't starved since I missed a few food drops. I was thinking about running away. Actually, I kind sorta did, but then I kinda didn't. The whole thing's messed up.

I really miss my mom, though she seems more like a distant memory now. Maybe a fantasy I made up? I don't know. It's hard to explain. She was real, she was there, but in the past few years her face has gotten kind of blurry and I can't remember the details anymore. I think I might be forgetting her and it scares me.

Anyway, I was going to stay away when I thought of you. Who'd bring you food if I didn't, huh? Someone's got to feed that bottomless pit of yours. Plus, I'd miss your drawings. Do me a favor, make the next one of you. I want to know what you look like, all of you. We've been friends for ten years now. I think it's about time I know what you look like.

Love,

Angel

He never wrote back. She wasn't sure what happened, maybe he'd starved in the few weeks she'd been gone. Maybe he was mad that she'd left for the time that she had. It was all more complicated than just running away though…

"Thank you, James that was very nice. Angel, can you pick up where James left off please?" Her teacher, Ms. Pendleton, was an obese, graying woman that Angel liked for her easy going nature.

She held the creased paperback in her hand, ready to pick up where her classmate left off, _"_ _She was more than human to me. She was a Fairy, a Sylph, I don't know what she was - anything that no one ever saw, and everything that everybody ever wanted. I was swallowed up in an abyss of love in an instant. There was no pausing on the brink; no looking down, or looking back; I was gone, headlong, before I had sense to say a word to her."_

"Good. Stop. Thank you, Angel. Class, what do we think Charles Dickens meant by this passage?" Her teacher walked up and down between the rows of desks, pausing ever so often near a student.

Angel reread the passage to herself, murmuring her answer. "He meant his world stopped."

"Speak up, Angel." Her teacher prompted.

She straightened in her chair as the teacher approached her, looking the woman in the eye as she answered. "Everything ceased to exist and there was only him and her. People call it love at first sight, but to just say that, it's not enough. It's more complicated and yet so simple at the same time. Sometimes you just- you just know. At least that's what I think… I mean, it's simple that you get the feeling, but it's complicated when there's everything that happens in life to keep you apart. Stuff outside of them, it's still there, the world doesn't really go away and they got to get through it."

Her brow furrowed as Mikey's eyes came to mind. That moment when she'd first saw him. She was just a kid. But the second she looked in those brilliant blue jewels of his everything changed, and her entire life had in the minutes that followed. But he had been her friend, just a friend, but maybe it could be like that for friends, too.

Suddenly, her teacher waved her hand in front of her face and Angel thrust her hands up to shield herself. Her teacher frowned. "Angel, I'd like to see you after class, please."

It had been instinct to brace herself from Arnold's blows whenever he lashed out at her when Casey wasn't there to stop him. But as it turned out, Ms. Pendleton looked out for her students in more ways than one.

"I've seen the bruises, Angel. What's going on at home?"

Angel squirmed. "Nothing. I'm just clumsy, I guess."

Mrs. Pendleton leaned back in her chair giving her a skeptical look. "Do I look like someone you can't trust?"

To this Angel sniffed and straightened. "Ma'am, I can't trust anyone. I know that for a fact."

Her teacher sighed. "If you won't talk to me, I'm going to refer you to the counselor. Go on to his office. I'll let him know you're coming."

Angel's heart shuddered. "No. Mrs. Pendleton, please. Don't. Please. He'll call home and-"

"And what?" Mrs. Pendleton raised a graying eyebrow.

Angel's mouth clamped shut.

Before she knew what was happening, Arnold Jones was under investigation and she was in foster care. That was when she lost touch with Mikey. That was when she started to slip.

Angel stared at the pock marks in the tiles overhead. The damn nightlight the little kids required was every bit as annoying as the strange smell that clung to the stiff bed-sheets. Even if the Jones' place stank of cigarettes and booze, it was at least familiar, though she remembered a blurry time when even that had been foreign. Should those memories be all foggy? It'd only been ten years ago, nothing in the span of a life.

She sighed, and tried in vain to get comfortable. She missed Casey. At least he'd made her feel safe. How was this strange place supposed to do that when kids were always walking around spacey, crying, or downright pissed off?

The girl in the bunk next to her was staring again. Creepy. Angel tried to ignore it, but the girl reached out and poked her. "Hey, you, what's your name again?"

"Angel," she replied keeping her gaze fixed on the ceiling.

"I'm Amethyst. You can call me Amy."

"Great." Angel inhaled and let her breath out slow. She couldn't come off as too cool or the girl might get pissed, and getting jumped didn't rank high on her to do list. She glanced at the calendar she'd hung above her head. Just six more weeks and Casey would be eighteen. Six more weeks till he sprang her. He promised.

"I'm getting out of here. You want to come with?"

Angel looked at the dark-skinned girl with big jade eyes that sparkled like the sea in the faint light. Her lashes were so long they looked like butterfly wings against her beautiful irises. She was so pretty. Angel propped her head up with one hand. "I'm getting sprung in the next month or so. You getting out before that?"

"My boyfriend is getting me out." She held out her arm showing Angel a small tattoo on the inside of it, shaped like a dragon. "My family of dragons. The Purple Dragons. I need to go home before I get placed. I'm leaving tomorrow night at midnight. My Hun loves new recruits. You can totally come with." She rolled to her back and put her arms behind her head. "Or not. 'Sup to you."

* * *

"Keep your fists up, use your forearms to block her strikes." Hun officiated the match between Angel and Amethyst. Angel's lip was busted from Amy's last strike. The crowd, their family, her family, shouted a mix of cheers and jeers.

The tape over Angel's knuckles was red in some places, from her busted knuckles bleeding through to Amy's nose splatter in others. The match had gone on too long and both girls were tired, but until one of them gave, it would not end.

Angel licked her busted lip, tasted the copper on her tongue. No way in hell was she taking the fall in the con, the damn thing wasn't even her idea. Amy glared at her, bouncing and shifting on the balls of her feet before spinning around and kicking at Angel's face. She leapt back, turning her head in time for Amy's foot to glide by, but found her feet swept out from under her in the blink of an eye. Her head smacked the floor and she lay there blinking against the lights.

Hun's sunglasses hid his eyes from her, but the set of his mouth showed his disgust. "Sometimes you have more than one enemy. You have to be on guard for them all. Besides, everyone must go through initiation. Show you are devoted to your new family. It's your turn to take the fall, Angel." A smirk formed on the edges of his mouth and Angel swallowed hard as he turned and walked away.

Amy held out a hand to her, helping her to her feet. She fingered the bracelet on Angel's wrist. "I have one like it, too." She showed her a matching platinum chain. "He gives them to all of his girls. It means we're special, linked to him. He cares about you, Angel. Come on, let's go. Don't be scared, there's always a chance you won't get caught." She laughed then, a tight sound that made Angel's stomach turn. "But it hasn't happened yet. That's why I was in lock up with you."

"It wasn't lock up, Amy. It was a group home." Angel corrected, following Hun's favorite beauty out of the warehouse they called home.

"Potato, potatoe. Tomato- whatever. Come on, let's take the subway." Amy grabbed her by the hand, interlinking their fingers, the blood-stained tape still covering Angel's knuckles. Amy had been lucky enough to have gloves. Angel would get there one day. All the treasures Hun showered Amethyst with, they'd be hers.

They took the subway to the shopping district. Angel checked the time as Amy gave her last minute instructions. "Get in, get it, get out. If you get caught, you get caught. But get it and you're still in." Amy's dark eyebrows lifted and dropped. "It'll just take longer before you get to come home."

She could do this. She could do this. He bought her nice things, he took care of her. Their bed was warm and he smelled good. He needed her to prove herself to him. That made sense, didn't it? What would Casey say? It's against the law. He'd be so mad at her. But, why should she care? She wasn't in the group home anymore. She was out. Just like Arnold Jones. What kind of justice was that? He beat her black and blue for years and she kept his secret, then their idea of help is to lock them both up. Only to turn around and set him free while she stayed there waiting for someone to either save her or to age out? Screw that. She'd make her own law…. Or she'd just follow Huns.

Angel marched through the entrance door, the scent of perfume taking her breath away as she wove by the cosmetics counter straight to the jewelry. Amy kept an easy pace, fingering a few articles of clothing as they approached their target.

"Hello, how can I help you ladies today?" The clerk, a woman wearing way too much make up, feigned a smile that Angel quickly read as, 'get away from my counter.'

Amy's bracelet clinked against the display case glass. "We're shopping for a gift. It's our friend's birthday and she just loves rings. Could you show us a few?"

The clerk's lips pursed as she hesitantly opened the case and began lining up various rings that Amy pointed out, on the counter. Angel leaned against the display, breathing on it then making circles against the cover with her fingers. Her heart began to pound as Amy led the clerk to the other side of the counter, taking the various rings she was showing her along with them. Her mistake was not locking the case. Angel reached inside grabbing four rings. Three she expected to sacrifice and one she meant to give to Hun. She grabbed a tissue off the counter, tucked three rings in one pocket then faked blowing her nose as she dropped the fourth into her bra.

Angel browsed some nearby clothes racks, her legs shaking as she tried to look casual. She made her way over to Amy. "That one's pretty," she said, pointing to a diamond encrusted emerald.

"Hmm," Amy mused and the clerk stood silent but staring. Slowly Amy began to dance around. "Oh, you know, I think I just started my period." She grimaced, and looked the clerk in the eye. "I've got to run to the bathroom. I'll be right back. I'm so, I'm so sorry." She danced around, appearing as uncomfortable as Angel felt, then darted off into the main part of the mall.

Angel sighed. _Well here goes nothing._ She looked at the clerk. "Well she's the one with the money, so." She rolled her eyes. "I guess we'll be back." She made her way toward the entrance, had one foot out the main door when a voice called out.

"Stop right there."

Handcuffed in zip ties, Angel sat in the manager's office with the three rings lying on his desk. Loss prevention was on the phone with the police while the aging manager with a beer belly and a repulsive handlebar mustache, toyed with the curled end of the damned thing. He sniffed, rubbed his nose then folded his hands in front of him.

"What's your name, sweetheart, huh?" He leaned in toward her, whispering. "You're one of Hun's girls, aren't you?"

Angel turned her head, studying the loss prevention guy who looked strangely familiar. Hadn't she seen him at one of the fights? The manager's breath hit the side of her face, reeking of tuna. She almost gagged, but managed to swallow it down as he announced. "Hold up on the phone over there, Joey. We might be able to work something out."

Her eyes drifted down to the phone that wasn't even lit up as 'Joey' dropped it back in its cradle. Did the temperature drop? The hair on her arms rose as Joey locked the office door and the manager stood up, reaching for his fly. Oh no. No. No. No!

She lifted her feet, pressing them into the side of the manager's desk and pushed hard giving her space from him at the same time she sounded off. "My name is Angel Jones, I'm an orphan. Call the police, tell them I stole your shit, but don't you dare lay a hand on me."

The manager frowned. "Hun will be so disappointed. And here, he thought you'd come through for him." He laughed. "But you're just another dumb kid, aren't you? I don't get why he bother's with you."

"Amethyst was the same at first, but she got it right eventually." Joey snorted as he reached for the phone.

What? What had she done wrong? She still had the fourth ring. What was she supposed to do that she hadn't?

Joey hung up the phone. "Cops are on their way." He leaned over, sticking his face in Angel's. "Don't bother trying to tell them we tried to make a deal." He tapped the back of her head. "No ideas of your own, you hear? There's a reason he picks cast-offs like you, princess. You've got no family except us." He pulled back his jacket, revealing the dragon tattoo snaking up his arm. "And nobody is going to believe you. You've got no credibility with them, but you can earn our trust by taking the fall and," he smacked her in the mouth, "keeping that shut tight." He grinned, thrusting his hips towards her face. "Unless you'd like to reconsider your options. Then we can make this all go away."

Tears stung her eyes but she refused to let them spill over. "I'll take the fall."

And how far she fell.

* * *

Back at the group home she wasn't even considered for foster care because of how she'd come back to them, and because she'd run the last time. Night after night, she counted down the days until Casey won his bid to be her guardian. But going home wasn't easy.

"I went through hell to get you home, kid. So, play it straight, okay? We've got social workers and shit checking in on us."

Angel walked around the apartment, noting the cigarette smell had faded, but the beer cans were still strung about. "Where's Arnold?" she asked, fingering a burn hole in the couch cushion.

"Moved out." Casey rubbed the back of his long hair. "Honestly, I don't know. Angel, look, you can't be running around with the likes of Hun and-"

Her head snapped up, her dark eyes locking with his. "How'd you know about that? I didn't tell anyone anything about him."

Casey stared at her. "You can't be serious, Ang." He rolled his eyes and smacked the bracelet hanging from her wrist. "All his girls wear them, and you were bunked next to Amethyst Carter. You said so in your letters. Then you go and disappear, only to show up after jewelry theft in a mall? Do you know how lucky you are they didn't press charges? Angel, you could be in juvie for this shit. I had to take on two jobs, meet with counselors and social workers and damn the paperwork April had to help me with!" He threw his hands up, pacing back and forth. "Just, keep your nose clean okay? We need to get you back in school and shit." He pointed to the bracelet, "And take that damn thing off."

He rubbed his face. "I need a drink."

Angel scowled as she fingered the bracelet. She'd almost taken it off until he said that. "Like father like son. What, are you going to start beating me too?"

Casey's face crumpled. "What? No. Angel, no. No." He knelt in front of her. "I love you, kid. You're my sis. I need you here with me." He grabbed the sides of her face. "Hun's bad news, Ang. He's not for you."

With her lips scrunched like a fish she tried to talk. "Fine. But I get to start taking food to my friend again."

Casey's eyes narrowed and he released her. "Uh," he ran his hand through his hair, "You know, Ang, you're fourteen and foods expensive. We can't really afford to keep feeding your imaginary friend."

"He's not imaginary!" she yelled. "Casey, I thought you believed me. You said, you said you believed me."

He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "Angel, when's the last time you swapped notes with him? He probably thinks you've forgotten him, or maybe something happened to him? Either way, I think you need to think about other stuff, like school."

She reached out and took her brothers hand. "Casey, I need a friend. Let me do this, please."

He looked down and shook his head. "Fine. But if he doesn't write you back, Angel, you gotta let that go."

Then she took food and wrote, and he didn't write back. She tried to do what Casey said, but it wasn't as easy as that.


End file.
